Little Moments
by The Chaotic Good
Summary: For fans of SPIRIT ETERNAL by EXODIA-GIRL. TalaOC. Tala and Vega have a rare moment.


A/N: This really doesn't have a title. It's for all of you little T/V fans out there prepared to kill Exodia. I started writing it before her latest chap so it might not add up completely. Enjoy!  
  
Vega, though rather badly beaten, was up and around quicker than some of the others. Kaosu was healing her rapidly with his energy, which would leave him slightly weakened but not unable to defend his mistress.  
Her muscles, however, were quite sore and a rather nasty bruise was forming upon her chest and back, one from being hit and the other from the force of impact against that pillar.  
The water of the hot springs eased away the tension though as she slid into it up to her neck. Wolborg being as he was lie near her, ears alert and ready.  
"You know, you silly beast, I don't need you around all the time, Kaosu can very well protect me," the woman chided before slipping beneath the water and resurfacing, her hair thoroughly soaked.  
The wolf barked quickly and shook his head as if to say, I'm staying anyways.  
"Very well, but could you give me that oil bottle lying on my clothes?" she asked, pointing to the pile of black cloth atop of which rested a corked, glass bottle of liquid.  
Wolborg looked back where she was pointing and stood up, trotting over to the clothing pile.  
Vega laughed as the bottle was dropped in her palm and gently ruffled the beast's fur. It was amazing how much he understood sometimes.  
  
Tala sat not far off with his back pressed to the tree, hidden carefully from view not for only his safety if she were to find out he was there but for his sanity. She did odd things to him dressed... tempting flashes of bare, ivory flesh would drive him mad.  
He wasn't sure why it was that she made him feel so strange all he knew that it was dangerous for her to be doing that. There were times when his thoughts wandered to darker thoughts... of holding her close to him, kissing her gently... being beside her for all of his life.  
The thoughts were tempting in themselves even if he was painfully aware of how much that could not be a reality.  
But all of the illusions were washed from his mind as a shriek from the woman pierced the night and he leapt up and through the bushes before he could stop himself.  
Tala paused at the edge of the springs to find Vega sitting near the center of the spring, scowling at him, her arms crossed to cover her chest. "I knew I heard you! What are you doing out here you letch?!"  
He glared at the bandit. "I wasn't looking at you! I... was looking out for you." His voice's volume dropped several notches.  
Vega titled her head to the side. "Why?"  
"Because... those... fiends who harmed you... I don't want them to get a second chance... I want to get even with them," Tala whispered, looking up so their eyes met.  
The moon was nearly full, warning him that he'd soon have to keep his thoughts closely guarded, and it shone off her skin and hair beautifully.  
The bandit blushed a little. "If you want to stay sit with your back turned where I can see you... though you needn't bother to look out for me, in water I'm probably safest."  
Tala said nothing, thinking it safest for himself that he didn't, and sighing he sat down with his back to her.  
After a while he couldn't help but speak.  
"Those wounds," he began tentatively, "do they hurt?"  
Vega glanced down at the bruise that welted across her front. In a few areas the skin had split and there was dried blood but for the most part it was black and blue. "A little," she whispered.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."  
He rushed the words, as if wanting to get the shameful, by his standards, statement over with and the bandit frowned at him and waded closer to the edge of the spring. "It's not your fault, I am supposed to defend myself, it's a bandit rule."  
"But I feel like I failed you," Tala replied softly.  
The woman sighed and lingered in the springs only long enough to wash the oil from her body before she carefully rose out of it, taking the robe, which she had stolen from Ephidel's manor, from Wolborg and wrapped it around herself. The water seemed to evaporate from her skin quickly and within moments her hair was somewhat dried. Deciding against what was probably better for herself she approached Tala from behind and sat down quietly. He didn't turn to face her but jumped when she wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin upon his shoulder.  
"You did not fail me," Vega whispered softly into his ear as he slowly relaxed and let himself lay back into her. She slipped a hand beneath the collar of his tunic and let her palm rest on his warm skin.  
Tala thought he could very well die there in an angel's arms and die a happy man. Everything about that moment was right. As right as it had been when they had kissed, as right as her arms around him and his holding her to him had been.  
How he longed to feel that again; consumed wholly by the wonderful warmth that radiated from her when she touched him, the touch he missed more and more each night he spent without her in his arms, which would guarantee that no matter the challenges that the next dawn might bring, life would still be good.  
"Vega?"  
She drew her thumb over his skin gently, deep in thought but still with him. The silence had been comforting. It meant that they had been sitting there together without anyone to question them... without questioning themselves.  
Reluctantly she replied. "Yes?"  
Tala, somehow, managed to crook his head down and kiss her hand. "You make me feel things I never have before," he whispered, "and that scares me."  
Vega tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes, burying her face into his neck. "It scares me too," she breathed after a few moments of absolute silence. "For once... I don't know what to do. I don't know if I want to run away or... or take this chance."  
For a moment the loner didn't reply and was just content to sit there for the rest of the night until the others came looking for them. But he couldn't let this confrontation not happen... they both deserved to know. "If you want to... run away... I'll let you unhindered...if you want to take the chance... I'll protect you from the consequences... and if you just want time to think this all over... I'd wait forever for your verdict."  
These words were whispered and Vega was pretty sure he'd never understand how much they meant to her as she felt, for the first time in a long time, her eyes well up with tears.  
Tala felt the first drop of salty water splash upon the bare skin of his neck and shifted so he could face her properly and couldn't help but smile a little bit as he gathered her in his arms. He didn't like it that she was crying but he understood that the tears weren't bad and he loved being able to kiss her forehead and cheeks without Kaosu rearing up his ugly head and killing him mercilessly.  
"You'll wait for me?"  
The words were barely whispered but he couldn't help but feel like they'd been shouted.  
He didn't want to wait, he didn't want to be without her... but he didn't want to force her into anything.  
"Yes."  
This needed to stop, this mush. If they were going to wade into things slowly and continue thinking rationally without being clouded by the misjudgment love often caused he needed everything to get back to how it was when they met. Well... maybe not so distanced... but close.  
"Get dressed," he murmured, rising to his feet and dragging her to stand with him. "And come back to the encampment, I'll tell the others you're coming, Wolborg will follow you back."  
Vega didn't feel as hurt as she thought she would've. But she somehow understood what he was doing and nodded, watching as he walked away.  
I love you, she thought.  
Wolborg approached and nuzzled her opened palm, whining quietly. 


End file.
